Power unit for motor vehicles



SepL],l925. L552J69 LpCHKENEN POWER UNIT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. l5, 1916 2 Sheets-Sfieet 1 wuew toz Zeanard' U- Xena POWER UNIT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. l5, L916 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tlmm g Patented Sept. -1, 1925.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 7

LEONARD e. KENEN, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO'R TO enonen'w. DURHAM, or

DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

POWER UNIT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

A Application filed December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,249.

To all whomit may com-em:

Be it known that V a. citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in "Power Units for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to power units for motor vehicles, and it is the primary object of the invention to reduce the size and weight of the unit required for the develop- =ment of a predetermined power. Further in the ratio of 2:1.

objects are to secure more perfect vbalance, and improved and simplified features of construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical central, longitudina-l section through the unit; Figure 2 is a cross section. In the present state of the art power units for motor vehicles usually comprise an en'- gine, afiy1wheel, a clutch and a variable speed transmission." The engine is prov1ded with a'cam-shaft for controlling'the' valves thereof, which is usually driven from the cranksshaft in thespeed ratio of 2:1, while the transmission is usually directly clutched to .the engine shaft to rotate therewith at high speed. When high-speed engines are employed it is diificult to obtain perfect balance, while the high angular veocity of the transmission-shaft is also detrimental. Furthermore, to obtain the proper axle speedxa'higher ratio of reduction between the. transmission-shaft andv axle is necessary, which increases the size 'of the bevel gears and consequently the size of the axle housing. One of the features of the present improvement isrthe construction in which the engine and transmission constitute a single 1111115 1n which the maximum speed of the transmission is reduced from.

that of the engine-crankshaft, preferably The cam-shaft is also driven from' the transmission-shaft instead of fromithe crank-shaft and'in' a 1': 1 ratio.-

Instead of arranging the fly-wheel outside of the engine crank-case and at one end of the crank-shaft, 'a' divided fly-wheel isemployed, the members of which are arranged at opposite ends of the crank-shaft and preferably within the crank-case. In place of arranging the clutch between the engine and,

opposite throw are similarly ofi'set.

I V the transmission-gearing it is positioned out- I, LEONARD O. KENEN,

side of the transmission gear-housing, while the latterpreferably consists ofvan' integral extension of the engine housing. By reason of these changes greater compactness and stability is secured, while the high-speed of rotation is confined to the engine crankshaft and is not imparted'to the transmission. This-permits of using the standard ratios of gear reduction in the transmission and axle,,such as are employed with engines of moderate speed. v

In detail, A is the engine housing, comprising a plurality of cylinders, which as shown are four innumber; Instead, however, of being arranged in a common plane, the cylinders are in groups of two, which are inplanes in angular relation to each other. therebyv permitting a decrease in the length of the engine. B is the crank-shaft provided with journal bearings B. and; B at opposite ends thereof and having the intermediate cranks C C C and C The cranks C andJG whichare upon the same throw, are laterally offset in relation to each other sufficiently to compensate for the angular relation ofthe pairs of engine cylinders, and the cranks C and C on the D and D are the engine fly-wheels, preferably arranged adjacent tothe journal bearings B and B inside of the crank-case A These fly-wheels may-be mounted upon the crank-shaft by providing the latter with flanged portions E and E, which are bolted or otherwise secured to the fly-wheel web D Concentric shoulders D and E are t preferably formed upon the webs D and flanges E E, to properly align the fiywheels with the-axis of the crank-shaft.

. Beyond the bearing B at the inner end of the crank-shaft'is an extension F of said shaft on which ismounted a pinion G. This pinion is in mesh with a gear wheel H upon a parallel shaft H, constituting the driving shaft of the transmission. The pinion G and gear-wheel H are preferably in the ra- -tio of, 1:2, so that the shaft H rotates at one-half the spe'edof the crank-shaft. I is the cam-shaft for controlling the engine valves, which is arranged at the upper end of the cylinders and which is preferably driven through the medium of sprockets J J and sprocket-chain J g from the shaft H and in a 1:1 ratio.

' shown is of the multiple ing the clutch members is expanded outside of the casing ber housing K and tween the housing Q" lar "M" the gears N N.

i To avoid the necessity of positioning the clutch intermediate the engine crank-shaft and the driving transmission shaft, the shaft H is extended through the transmission gear has mounted on its outer L of the clutch, which as disk type. ,The cooperating, member L of the clutch is mounted'on a tubular shaft M sleeved upon the shaft H and l 'ngitudinally adjustable thereon. L are springs for yieldably draw- L and L into frictional engagement, and -M is the clutch collar which is arranged at theinner end of the shaft M .to be operated by suitable mechanism (not shown) for releasing the end one member clutch. Theseveral speeds of the transmis 1n axial alignment with the crank-shaft.

- P is agear-wheel connected withthe gearwheels N N, which is in mesh with a gearwheel P upon the shaft M. Q is a sleeve surrounding the tubular shaft M and journalled in a concentric bearing R in the transmission gearing to form a housing Q, for the clutch and the periphery of this housing may be employed as a brake-drum. S is a universal coupling beand the propellershaft (not shown), by which the axle is driven. v

With the construction as described, when the engine is in operation the rotary move-' "ment of the crank-shaft is transmitted G and H to the shaft through the gears H, which together with the clutch memhalf crank-shaft speed. When the clutch is released by movement of the clutch colmay be shifted to produce any desired speed ratio, and upon re-en'gagement of the clutch, motion is transmitted through these gears, the pinion and intermeshing gear-wheel P to the sleeve Q, housing Q and universal coupling S. For high speed the shaft M is directly clutched to the sleeve Q, which will drive the latter at the same speed as the shaft H or at one-half crank-shaft speed.

The arrangement of a pair of fly-wheels at opposite ends of the crank permits of reducing the diameter of said wheels and relieves the crank from torsional stresses and furthermore by arranging these flywheels within the crank housing and inside of the journal bearings B and B the transmission gearing is compactly'arranged and vmay be conveniently housed in an integral transmission gearing,

housing K. The sleeve Q;

L will be constantly driven but at one-1 throws in dynamic sible for lubrication or repairs, while at Y the same time it will per-form its normal function of a coupling between the engine and'transmission gearing Still other advantages are that the crank-shaft may be as it is more accesreadily removed without disturbing the transmission, The arrangement of a pair of fly-wheels on opposite ends of thecrank and inside of the supporting main hear ing relieves the crank journals from torsional stress due to the unevennessof the power torque; also forms a symmetrical rotating body, thus tending to equalize the centrifugal couples which may exist in the system; provides a Very easy means of correcting the static or dynamic unbalance of the system by adding or subtracting weight in the rim of the fly-wheel and obviates the necessity of adding counterweight to the crank cheeks, thereby simplifying the problem of either static or dynamic unbalance. The arrangement secures a mass ballance since the reactions'upon the crank shaft at opposite sides of its longitudinal center-are equal and symmetrical.

By the term dynamic balance as herein used is meant the balancing of any number of couples in a revolving mass (which may be resolved into a single couple) by weights properly distributed (as for instance in the fly w eels) which form a resultant opposite couple.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an engine, the combination with a crank-shaft having a plurality of pairs of throws in dynamic balance, of an engine casing in which said shaft is journaled, a fly-wheel atone end of the throws of said crank and within said casing, and a member at the opposite ends of the throws of said crank. and within said casing of equal mass to said fiy wheel to maintain the mass balance.

2. In an engine, the combination with a crank-shaft having a plurality of pairs of balance, of an engine casing in which said shaft is journaled, and a pair of fly-wheels mounted on said crankshaft at opposite ends of the throws thereof, said fiy-wheels being equal in mass to maintain the mass balance.

3. In an engine, the combination with a crank-shaft having a plurality of pairs of throws in dynamic balance and with journals at opposite ends thereof, of an engine casing forming a housing .for said crankshaft provided with bearings for said journals, and a pair of fly-wheels mounted on said crank-shaft adjacent to said journals and within said housing, said fly-wheels being equal in mass to maintain mass balance. 4. In an engine, the combination with a crank-shaft having a plurality of pairs of throws in dynamic balance with journals at I secured to said flanges,

the opiiao'site ends-thereof, of an engine ens-t inghgving ahousing for enclosm vsand shaft prbvlded with bearings for sai journals,.fianges on the end cranks adjacent to said journals, and fly-wheels having webs; said fly-wheels being equal; in mass tqmnintain mass balance.

' 5.1n an eng1ne,' the combination with a crank-shaft having-a; plurality of pains of balance with journals at throws in dynamic oppogite' ends tl lQmOfj an engine casing formmg a housmg, f0r sa1d crankshaft n'ais, flanges onfthe end throws adjacent to axis of the crank-Shaft for aligning and'cen tering said flywheels; the. latter being eqiml .0

111 mass to maintain mass'balance;

In testimonjwhg'mnf I aflix my siginttnret 136N331) 0". 1mm 

